Zone Six sports ministers to craft games strategy

Senior Sports Reporter
TEN Zone Six sports ministers are expected to jet into the country on Thursday for a Council of Ministers meeting whose agenda will be next year’s regional Youth Games that the country will host in Bulawayo. The meeting is a usual policy meeting for the member states in Zone Six but will also discuss the Games and at the same meeting Zambia will hand over the Zone Six chairmanship to Zimbabwe.
“We expect all the sports ministers from the 10-member States to be here on Thursday because the meeting is scheduled for Friday,” said Stanley Mutoya, the Zone Six general manager.

He could not confirm the guest of honour for the meeting but said the host country, Zimbabwe, is expected to provide one.
Speaking at a press conference at a local hotel on Sunday morning, the Zone Six secretary-general, Mvuzo Mbebe, said the meeting is also expected to come up with a new strategic plan for the zone for the next four years.

“The meeting will also undertake the necessary conversion from the Supreme Council for Sports in Africa to African Union Sports Council Region Five,” said Mbebe.

On Zimbabwe’s readiness to host the bi-annual Games, the secretary-general said while they were not yet in a position to give their official position, they remained confident that the country would host successful games.

“We are comfortable as a zone that we will hold successful games,” he said.
A local organising committee chaired by Charles Dzimba with Henry Manzungu as the chief executive officer, has already been put in place. Seven venues around the city have been identified for use during the Games and the Zonal Organising Committee has toured the potential venues.